Midcontinent Launches DOCSIS 3.0 In Dakotas

7/10/2009 5:02 PM Eastern

By: By Todd Spangler

Midcontinent Communications has launched "wideband" DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem service in its West Fargo, N.D., and Sioux Falls, S.D., service regions in an initial deployment passing approximately 105,000 home in 23 communities.

The MidcoNet Ultimate residential service - which provides 50 Mbps down and 5 Mbps up -- is priced at $124.95 per month. Currently, Midcontinent is not placing any monthly bandwidth-usage caps on the service.

The cable operator is using Cisco Systems' DOCSIS 3.0-enabled cable-modem termination system in the headend, and cable modems from Ubee Interactive (formerly known as Ambit Microsystems).

Midcontent began offering the service last month in South Dakota in Sioux Falls, Baltic, Crooks, Renner, Canton, Madison, Colton, Humboldt, Tea and Harrisburg; and in North Dakota in West Fargo, Casselton, Reiles Acres, Oxbow, Frontier, Arthur, Buffalo, Harwood, Horace, Hunter, Leonard and Mapleton. The service also is available in Sabin, Minn.

Later this summer, Midcontinent plans to launch DOCSIS 3.0 in Moorhead, Minn., with other service areas on tap through the rest of 2009 and in to 2010.

"Considering that residential and business bandwidth consumption has increased by 360% over the last five years, it's critical that Internet service can not only deliver at current demand levels, but is also ready for a future that will see an even greater demand for rich media and applications that haven't even been invented," said Jon Pederson, Midcontinent's vice president of technology, in a statement.